The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to techniques for authenticating rechargeable smart batteries commonly used to provide power to portable information handling system components such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants, cellular phones and gaming consoles.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
A battery converts chemical energy within its material constituents into electrical energy in the process of discharging. A rechargeable battery is generally returned to its original charged state (or substantially close to it) by passing an electrical current in the opposite direction to that of the discharge. Presently well known rechargeable battery technologies include Lithium Ion (LiON), Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). In the past, the rechargeable batteries (also known as “dumb” batteries) provided an unpredictable source of power for the portable devices, since typically, a user of the device powered by the battery had no reliable advance warning that the energy supplied by the rechargeable battery was about to run out.
Today, through the development of “smart” or “intelligent” battery packs, batteries have become a more reliable source of power by providing information to a device of the information handling system and eventually to a user as to the state of charge, as well as a wealth of other information. The smart rechargeable battery, which is well known, is typically equipped with electronic circuitry to monitor and control the operation of the battery. The information is typically communicated using a well-known System Management Bus (SMBus), which is widely used in the industry. Information pertaining to the smart battery and being communicated via the SMBus connection may include data elements such as smart battery status, manufacturer name, serial and model number, voltage, temperature and charge status.
Smart batteries, which may be original equipment manufactured (OEM) or in-house manufactured, typically undergo extensive testing and validation procedures before they are approved and qualified to be included in a portable information handling system device by the manufacturer of the portable device. The portable device powered by the smart battery may also undergo additional testing prior to being shipped to a customer. The high cost of many smart batteries has attracted an increasing number of counterfeit smart battery vendors to (re)manufacture and sell genuine-like smart batteries at lower prices to unsuspecting customers. The counterfeit batteries are typically able to emulate virtually any genuine smart battery by emulating their manufacturer, model name, and serial number. An authentication process to identify the genuine smart batteries is almost non-existent. These counterfeit batteries, which often go through very minimal testing and validation procedures, may pose as a serious hazard to the unsuspecting customers. For example, if the counterfeit smart battery does not properly safeguard the charging process then excessive heating caused during the charging process may cause an explosion. This may result in a significant liability problem for the manufacturers of the information handling system device and/or the OEM smart battery.
Therefore a need exists to properly safeguard the charging process of a smart battery. More specifically, a need exists to develop tools and techniques for disabling the charging process for counterfeit smart batteries. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide tools and techniques for charging authenticated smart batteries included in an information handling system absent the disadvantages found in the prior methods discussed above.